Australian fans turn against U.S. women's basketball

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Australia's fans aren't waiting until the gold medal game to root against the U.S. women's basketball team. They're getting warmed up already.

Fans turned against the United States after a player from Poland was knocked out of the game and taken to the hospital as the Americans were claiming first place in their preliminary group with a 76-57 victory on Sunday.

Booed and jeered throughout the second half, the U.S. players shrugged it off and kept playing. It might be a sampling of what's to come if they face Australia for the gold medal, which is the way this Olympic tournament is shaping up.

"We can hear the boos all we want, but we're winning," forward Yolanda Griffith said. "We're not going to worry about that. We came here to take care of business. We can't worry about outsiders knocking at our door and being negative toward us.

"I'm sorry that player got hurt. I didn't actually see what happened."

Poland's Edyta Koryzna went sprawling backward to the floor when 6-foot-5 Lisa Leslie stuck out her backside to clear some space near the basket. Though the move did not appear flagrant, the 5-9 Koryzna was hit in the chest and had the wind knocked out of her.

She was carried off the floor and treated behind the bench before being pushed out of the arena in a wheelchair and taken to a hospital for X-rays.

"I don't think I hit her," Leslie said. "I didn't see her at all, so I would have to watch replays. From where she was on the free throw line and where I was down low, I didn't see her at all."

Fans booed Leslie every time she touched the ball after that and the entire crowd took up the chant "Pols-ka, Pols-ka." It made little difference.

The United States (5-0), quicker and deeper, kept its composure and stayed safely ahead. Poland cut a 25-point lead to 58-44 with 9:10 left, but the Americans answered with an 8-2 run that included four points by Sheryl Swoopes to get the lead back to 20.

Poland (3-2) was never closer than 16 points after that.

"I think the crowds will always be fickle and I expect it to go back and forth," Leslie said. "The same people that cheer for you one day are the same people that are against you the next. That's just the way it goes with fans."

Now it's on to the medal round, starting with the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The United States plays Slovakia (2-3), the fourth-place finisher in Group A.

Australia (5-0), as expected, finished first in Group A and will play Poland. The other matchups are South Korea (3-2) against France (4-1) and Brazil (2-3) against Russia (3-2).

"It helps build confidence to go undefeated, but we recognize our job is not done," Leslie said. "This is where it all really begins and we're looking forward to playing against Slovakia."

The United States handled Poland by containing 7-2 Margo Dydek while getting control of the game in the first half. Though Dydek finished with 24 points, she got 18 in the second half when the game was out of reach.

Griffith started out on Dydek. She was relieved by DeLisha Milton, who was followed by Dydek's Utah Starzz teammate, Natalie Williams.

"We kind of focused on her because she had 32 points the other night and we're not going to let anybody have 32 points on us," Griffith said. "We have so many good people on our team that if you keep sending different defenders at her, it's going to wear her down."

Griffith and Swoopes led the United States with 16 points each and Leslie scored 14. Griffith also grabbed 12 rebounds.

Struggling early against Poland's 2-3 zone, the United States led just 12-10 after 71/2 minutes. Then two things happened: The Americans started getting fastbreak baskets by forcing turnovers and the outside shots started to fall.

Katie Smith, Leslie, Swoopes and Dawn Staley hit 3-pointers in a 26-6 run that stretched the lead to 38-16. It was 44-21 at halftime and the United States did just enough in the second half to stay in control, though coach Nell Fortner didn't care for all the fouls.

Dydek shot 10 free throws in the second half and made all 10.

"We pushed the ball well and defended well in the first half, then lost some of our intensity," Fortner said. "We fouled too much in the second half and slowed the game down, and we didn't want to do that."